


Sweet Music Playin' In The Dark

by Credencedefensesquad



Category: Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Genre: Canon Divergent, Gen, M/M, also Adam isnt 8 feet tall like in the og pls dont get mad, basically this is just Adam Frankenstein getting a decent life and learning to be happy, frankenstein's creature but make him bi, frankenstein's creature referred to as Adam, that gay stuff, the good life frankenstein's creature always deserved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:28:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28209063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Credencedefensesquad/pseuds/Credencedefensesquad
Summary: Frankenstein's creature, now known as Adam Frankenstein, survived the Arctic. It's now around 300 years since Victor died and Adam is still alive. He lives as a mysterious librarian in New Jersey and he meets a man named Erik who helps him open up and forgive himself (at least for things that he should be forgiven for.) Adam learns to trust and see the beauty in all things again and frankly, he fuckin deserves it.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. In Midsummer, When I First Met You

Eyes pierced towards Adam from every direction. Freak. They seemed to say. Weirdo. Monster. Creature. The people whispered.

If only they knew.

Adam wished his plan to destroy himself with his creator, Victor Frankenstein, had worked. But that was 300 years ago. He most definitely had time to get over that.

He still couldn't get over it. He could distract himself though. After his failed attempt to destroy himself after Victor died, he managed to return to Switzerland, where he met the brother of Victor he hadn't killed. Adam shuddered as he thought of the little boy he killed.

Ernest, Victor's brother that Adam didn't kill, took him in. Even though he regretted setting up Justine, he was glad Ernest never found out it was Adam who killed William. By the time Adam reached Ernest, the latter had quit the military service. After getting over his initial terror, Ernest decided that no man, no matter how terrifying or unnaturally created, was too terrible to be generous to. Adam thought back to his time with Ernest and smiled. Ernest was one of the few kind souls he had ever experienced.

After Ernest room Adam under his care, he began to learn more than he could have learned those first few years of his life near the DeLaceys' cottage. Adam shuddered again. He hated thinking about them, especially the old blind man.

Eventually, Ernest too had died. Adam was technically the last remaining Frankenstein. After Ernest's death, Adam moved to New York, and eventually to New Jersey. He closed the book he was reading. His break was nearly over.

Adam managed to procure a job at a small public library. He loved it. None of the other librarians ever judged him. They were lovely people, although a bit scared of him. He reentered the building, as he always went outside on his break during the summer.

The librarian at the desk smiled at Adam, and he smiled back.

"Back from break, Mr. Frankenstein?" She asked.

"Yes. It was quite lovely outside." Adam nodded.

"I'm sure." The other librarian smiled again. Adam waved and returned to his book cart.

A half an hour later, a young child turned into the aisle Adam was organizing. His turned towards the child.

"Do you need help finding anything?" Adam asked the child. The child stopped in his tracks and stared at Adam.

"No thank you. I'm good." The child stammered out.

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." Adam responded and went into another aisle. He could vaguely hear the child telling one of his parents about him.

He counted down the minutes until the library closed. It was a Sunday so it closed early that day. When it finally closed, he decided to sit outside for a while and take in the warmth. He looked at himself on his phone's camera. Phones were still weird to him, but he would get used to it.

Adam's skin still was tightly pulled over his face muscles, although the yellow and green had faded from his face so he mostly looked malnourished and severely bruised. The other librarians constantly nagged on him to eat more. The stitches from when Victor pieces him together had fallen out when he was living with Ernest, so he just had a load of scars all around his body. His hair was black and shiny. He really liked his hair.

He felt someone sit next to him. He turned his head to the person. It was another man, maybe 22 or 23 and he was staring right at him. The other man, Adam noted, had been standing against a wall since he got outside.

"I hope you don't mind," the man said. "You seemed a bit lonely so I thought I'd come talk to you."

"I don't mind." Adam responded quietly. He still wasn't used to talking to people he didn't know. The man smiled.

"I'm Erik." The man told Adam.

"I'm Adam…"

"Pleasure to meet you. Do you work here?"

"Yes. I have for a couple years now."

"Really? I thought you were right out of college." Erik sounded genuinely surprised.

"I suppose I look younger than I am. I finished college a few years ago." Adam smiled slightly.

"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

He won't believe you if you tell the truth. Adam told himself.

"...25. How old are you?" Adam said.

"22. I just finished up my college degree this spring." Erik smiled.

"Congrats."

Erik smiled again. "Thank you. Where did you go to college?"

"Some small college in New York. I don't know if you've heard of it."

"Probably not. I grew up in Virginia and only moved out of state for the first time for college. Let me guess, you studied English literature."

"Close. I just studied literature in general," Adam chuckled. "What did you study?"

"Theater arts and photography."

"I've always loved both of those. I never thought about going into either of them though."

"If you had to do college over again, would you study either of those?"

"Potentially. I'd still do literature though."

"Somehow that makes sense for you."

Adam smiled. "Yeah."

"You from around here?" Erik asked.

"No. I'm actually from Switzerland. I moved to New York as a kid though, and came here after college."

"Do you have any family in Switzerland?"

"No. My family was small and we all came here together."

A look of confusion passed over Erik's face but he doesn't pose any questions about Adam's family. Instead, he checks the time and jumps to his feet.

"Shit- I gotta get home or else my roommates will start to worry. Do you need a ride or are you set?"

"I'm 6'11. Are you sure your car will have enough space?"

"It will. Don't worry about it. If not we can figure something out. Follow me, Adam." Erik smiled. Adam stood up and followed Erik to his car. Erik probably wasn't any shorter than 5'10 but Adam still seemed to nearly dwarf him.

Erik opened the front passenger door and waved for Adam to get in. He did so cautiously. As he predicted, there wasn't enough space for his legs. Erik clambered into the driver's seat and instructed Adam on how to pull his seat back. He did what Erik said and out his seat all the way back. It was still a tight fit for his legs, but it was better.

"Where do you live?" Erik asked. Adam gave him his address. "That's not too far from where I live so hopefully it shouldn't take too long to get there."

15 minutes later, Erik pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex Adam lived in. He stopped in front of Adam's building.

"Adam, before you get out, two things." Erik said.

"What's up?"

"One, let me give you my number."

Adam opened up the messaging up on his phone and tapped to the screen where Erik could put his number in. Then he gave his phone to Erik so he could put his number in.

"Do you mind if I send a quick message to my phone real quick so I have your number?" Erik asked.

"Go ahead." Adam shrugged. Erik sent a message to his phone and handed Adam's phone back to him.

"Also, I was wondering if you would want to hang out sometime. As either a date or just two friends hanging out. It's up to you."

"Yeah sure," Adam said. "It could be a date if you want it to be."

Erik smiled and his face went red.

"I'm free Wednesday if that works for you."

"I get off at six on Wednesday. There's a small cafe near the library if you would be interested in that."

"That works for me. What's it called?"

"East Broad Cafe."

"I've never been there. Would you like me to pick you up when you get off so we can go together?"

"It's only a few minutes away when walking so I should be fine but thank you." Adam said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'll see you on Wednesday?"

"I'll see you on Wednesday." Adam smiled as he clambered out of Erik's car. They waved at each other through the window before Erik slowly drove off. Adam was still smiling as he entered his apartment.

He sat on his couch, all his dark thoughts from earlier having faded away while talking with Erik. His cat curled up on his lap as soon as she saw him sit down.

"I have a date, Gwen." Adam said as he petted his cat, the smile still on his face. Gwen just meowed at him.

Wednesday came sooner than either Adam or Erik was expecting. Adam was shaking so badly that he could hardly focus the entire day at work.

Adam clocked out immediately at six and waved at the other librarian at the front desk as he left, the same one from Sunday.

"You seem in good spirits, Adam." The other librarian said.

"Yes. I'm meeting up with a friend soon."

"A friend is nearly always good company." The other librarian smiled at Adam. He waved again and left the library.

A few minutes later, he was seated outside the cafe, waiting for Erik. He checked his phone and he noticed he had a text from Erik confirming time and location. He sent a text back confirming them.

10 minutes later, Erik pulled into the parking lot at the cafe and practically sprinted to meet up with Adam. He pulled Adam into a hug, and Adam, who was shocked at the hug, gently hugged back.

"Shall we go inside?" Erik asked. Adam nodded and followed Erik inside.

It was a quaint cafe. Very hipster or Instagrammable as people nowadays would call it. Adam loved it. So different to how he grew up. Of course, he grew up in the 1700's in Europe but still. The cafe was like a breath of fresh air for him.

Adam looked around at the plants and small lights that decorated the cafe. There was a rainbow flag hanging behind the counter. Erik took notice of it and his eyes lit up.

"Adam, you never told me this place was queer owned!" Erik smiled widely.

"Oh uh. I suppose it slipped my mind." Adam said sheepishly. Erik rolled his eyes, still grinning. They approached the counter, and the barista greeted them, Adam by name.

This was another thing Adam loved about the cafe. No one here thought he was a freak, at least not outwardly.

"You come here often?" Erik elbowed him in the side.

"Yeah I guess." Adam laughed.

"You guess?" The barista said. They turned to face Erik. "Adam is one of our most frequent customers. He's here almost every day."

Adam's face felt warm as he averted his gaze.

"What can I get for you today?" The barista asked.

"Uhm. Can I get a medium Irish cream cold brew and a chocolate croissant?" Erik said.

"Uh huh. And for you?" The barista said as they tapped Erik's order into the machine.

"The same as usual I suppose."

The barista added Adam's order to the machine. "That'll be $20.73." They said. Adam and Erik both grabbed their wallets.

"I got this." Erik informed Adam.

"You sure?" Adam asked.

"Uh huh."

"...okay. Thank you." Adam said, sliding his wallet back into his pocket. Erik swiped his card and the barista handed him the receipt.

"Your order will be out shortly." The barista smiled at them. The two smiled back and went to the pickup counter.

Soon, they had their orders in hand and they were sitting at a table outside. The weather was gorgeous. Adam took a sip of his coffee.

"Adam, can I ask you something?" Erik said abruptly.

"Yeah sure."

"Why did your family come to America?"

"I'm not sure. My parents just decided to come here one day when I was a kid. So we did."

"Was it hard for you?"

"I suppose it depends on what you mean. The process itself was long and difficult but I wasn't upset. I had no friends in Switzerland. No attachments other than what little family I had. So in that way, it was easy enough."

"If you're okay with me asking, why do you talk about your family as if they aren't around anymore?"

"Because they aren't. It's a long story…"

"I won't ask about that. It seems painful."

Adam smiled gratefully. "Thank you." He paused. "So uh. What made you decide to come to New Jersey for college?"

"I guess I like being close to New York but not actually being in New York. I'm a small town boy with big dreams."

"Yeah. New York was chaotic, even for me. So I get that."

Erik smiled.

"You know, Adam, I've seen you at the library quite a bit. I know you work there, but it seems like you're there every day."

"We have a small staff." Adam shrugged as he took a sip of his coffee.

"I can imagine."

Adam nodded. "So do you have any family in New Jersey?"

"Not unless you count my roommates. They're the closest thing I've got to family here. My blood family is all back in Virginia"

"Family doesn't have to end in blood. The other librarians are kind of like a small family."

Erik took a moment to clean his glasses. "That's good. I'm glad you have some semblance of a family."

Adam nodded and looked down towards his coffee and pastry, the latter of which he hadn't even touched yet. He took a bit of his pastry.

Erik looked around at the scenery.

"If you want to do something else, there's a fairly cheap art museum and an open air market nearby." Adam said quietly.

"Oh, is it the marketplace on Hamilton?" Erik asked.

"Yes! You know that one?"

"I'm there all the time! I love it. How far is it from here?"

"A few blocks away. Would you like to go?"

Erik grinned. "Come on!" He said ecstatically as he stood, coffee in hand. Adam stood as well. He took the lead and Erik followed closely in tow.

In no time, the pair had reached the market. Erik kept close to Adam as they passed the first few stands.

"I really like this stand." Adam pointed out one with a wide collection of vintage items. Erik moved closer to it. The old man behind the stall smiled at him. Adam approached a moment later.

Erik picked up a small ceramic cat. It had chipped paint and a broken ear. He lifted it up to show Adam.

"What do you think of this?" He asked.

"It reminds me of Gwen, which is my cat."

"Is she a gray cat?"

"Yes. Even the broken ear on this one matches up with her torn ear."

"How much is this?" Erik said, turning to the old man behind the stall.

"$10.50." The old man said with a smile. Erik pulled out his wallet and got a $20 bill.

"Here." He said as he handed the old man the money.

The old man counted out the change and gave it to Erik. Then he wrapped the ceramic cat in paper and put it into a small bag. He gave that to Erik as well.

"Thank you." Erik smiled.

"Anytime. Have a nice day, you two." The old man said.

"You too." Erik responded as he put some cash into the tip jar and walked off. He handed the bag with the cat in it to Adam. "This is for you."

Adam's face went red. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now take it." Erik insisted, shoving the bag gently into Adam's hands.

"...thank you."

Erik pointed out a stand a few minutes later. This one had countless items of clothing, as well as lengths of unique fabric. Erik looked around at the fabric. One with a rustic design with compasses and maps on it seemed to catch his eye.

"Adam come here." He said. Adam moved over to him from the rack of clothes he was staring at. "What do you think of this?"

"I like it. Do you?"

"Yes. Very much so."

"Give it to me. I'll buy it for you."

"You don't have to." Erik sighed.

"Don't be ridiculous. Let me buy the fabric for you."

Erik handed Adam the fabric sheepishly and they went over to the woman that ran the stand.

"You two ready to buy?" She asked.

Adam nodded and handed her the fabric. She spread it out and looked at it for a moment.

"Would you like to buy the rest of it? There isn't much left." The woman looked between the two.

Adam and Erik looked at each other. Adam nodded to Erik.

"Um yeah. Sure." Erik responded.

"Great! That'll be $20."

Erik looked to Adam, but he didn't seem to be annoyed with this. He just took out his wallet and swiped his card. The woman put the fabric in the bag and handed it to Adam, who handed it to Erik. They walked off after saying goodbye to the woman.

They only stopped by a few more stands, Adam to buy some fruit, Erik to buy a gift for his roommate who's birthday was coming up soon.

"Should we head back soon? I'm sure your roommates are wondering where you are." Adam said.

"Aw man. It's only 7:30. They're probably fine. I mean, unless you need to get home."

"My cat's already been fed today and she's just as antisocial as I am so she'll be okay for a little while longer."

"That's good. Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?" Erik asked.

"Nowhere I can think of. Do you have any ideas?"

"I'm pretty sure there's a planetarium nearby. It's too far to walk so we'll have to go back to my car but it's free to get in on Wednesdays. What do you think?"

"I'm okay with that."

Erik smiled. "Perfect. Let's go."

As they walked back to the cafe to get Erik's car, they noticed the rain clouds. It was gonna rain any minute. Adam sighed.

"Do you think we should run back to your car?" Adam looked to Erik.

"Probably." Erik responded. They both sighed and took off towards the cafe.

As they made the second to last turn towards the cafe, it started pouring. They covered their heads with their bags. They quickly rounded the last turn and they soon reached the cafe. They climbed into Erik's car, and he turned the car on and started the heat. Adam leaned back and closed his eyes, a small smile on his face.

Erik checked something on his phone and let out a quick string of curses. Adam glanced over at him.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked.

"The planetarium doesn't have any more events tonight."

"Aw. Maybe some other time."

"I still want to keep hanging out with you, but I have no idea what we can do." Erik sighed.

"I would suggest the museum but that closes soon."

"Yeah."

"Maybe we can hang out at my place and I can introduce you to my cat." Adam suggested.

"That sounds fun." Erik smiled.

"Let's do it then."

Erik nodded and pulled out of the parking lot. He and Adam shared a quick smile.

A few minutes later, they pulled into Adam's apartment complex. Adam pointed out the guest parking and Erik parked his car and stopped the engine. He grabbed an umbrella as they stepped out of the car. He opened it and Adam held it over their heads until they entered his apartment.

Gwen came out of her hiding spot after Adam closed the door and she rubbed against his leg. He crouched down to pet her.

"This is Gwen, my cat." Adam said.

"She's gorgeous." Erik responded as he bent down and put his hand out for Gwen to sniff. She seemed to like Erik, as she headbutted his hand, so he scratched her head gently.  
"I have to put my fruit away. Would you like to sit down in the meantime?" Adam asked. Erik nodded and Adam gestured to the couch. Then he disappeared into the kitchen.

He emerged five minutes later. Gwen was purring happily in Erik's lap. He sat down on the unoccupied end of the couch.

"That's funny. Gwen typically doesn't like new people." Adam said curiously.

"I guess I just have a way with cats." Erik chuckled.

"Apparently." Adam smiled. He ran his fingers through his hair. It was getting tangled again. Erik watched with curiosity.

"I don't mean to sound weird or anything but I think it would be nice to brush your hair." Erik said.

"I suppose I can get my brush if you'd like." Adam turned to Erik. Adam was surprised with himself. He was never like this with new people.

Erik nodded. Adam stood and went to his room. He came back out a few moments later, hairbrush in hand. He gave it to Erik as he sat back down. Erik scooted closer until his knee was gently touching Adam's back and started brushing his hair. Adam leaned his head back a little so that it would be easier for Erik.

After a few minutes, Erik set the brush down on the coffee table. "Can I braid your hair?" He asked. Adam thought about this for a moment then nodded slowly. Once he was done braiding Adam's hair, he slipped a hair tie off his wrist and tied the braid so it wouldn't come apart.

"Look at me." Erik said. Adam slowly turned around to face Erik. Erik lit up when he saw Adam with his hair like this.

"Does it look weird or something?" Adam asked quietly.

"What? No. It suits you."

"..thanks."

Erik grinned. "Look at it and tell me what you think."

Adam grabbed his phone off the table and opened the camera app. He actually kinda liked it.

"It isn't bad." Adam said.

"You should wear it like that more often."

"I would but… I don't know how to braid hair."

"Here. Let me show you." Erik took a small section of his hair and separated it into three smaller sections. He proceeded to show Adam how to overlap the hair to make the braid as the latter watched intently.

Erik did this a couple times and then had Adam try it.

"Easy isn't it?" Erik smiled shyly at Adam.

"Yes. It is." Adam smiled back.

Erik's phone buzzed with a message. He looked at it and then to Adam. "One of my roommates texted me. They're making dinner tonight. See you soon?" He said.

"See you soon. I had a good time." Adam responded.

"Me too. Thanks for joining me. I'll text you when I get home and we can plan another date if you'd like."

"Yes. I would like that."

"Great." Erik stood and ruffled some of Adam's loose hair. Then he leaned in and kissed Adam lightly on the forehead. Adam's face went red. Erik went to the door, waved, and exited. Adam waved after him.

Erik seemed to truly like him.


	2. Adam's First Affections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lmao merry Christmas (if you celebrate it) here's a new chapter

True to his promise, Erik texted Adam pretty much as soon as he got home. Adam smiled a little bit. There was a twinge of doubt in his heart, but Adam knew deep down that that doubt was just his fears. Probably. In either case, he pushed it aside. If this thing with Erik turned out to just be a friendship, he wouldn't mind. He needed friends outside of his fellow librarians regardless.

The text from Erik read "when are you free?" Adam texted back "I'm off next Wednesday and the Saturday after that."

Erik had work the following Wednesday so they planned for Saturday. This time, they promised each other, they would go to the planetarium.

Gwen curled up next to Adam and purred contently. He pet her absentmindedly. Erik texted him again and asked if he had social media. He did not. Erik just as well as demanded that Adam set up at least an Instagram. So he did.

As it turned out, Adam had no idea how social media worked. Erik walked him through how to set up an account. He followed Adam as soon the latter's account was created.

On Monday, an Instagram notification popped up on Adam's phone. Some stranger had followed him. He went to see who it was and… oh. It was just one of the other librarians. He simply forgot that he had given his Instagram to the others earlier. Adam sighed in relief.

He stood up from where he was sitting on his bed and went to the kitchen to make a meal. He set his phone on the counter and Gwen immediately jumped up and started nudging it with her nose.

"Get down." Adam said. Gwen ignored him and kept nudging at Adam's phone. He rolled his eyes and picked it up. Gwen sat and meowed. "Stupid cat." He muttered.

As if though it was on cue, a text from Erik came in. It was about Saturday. At first, Adam's heart stopped. What if Erik cancelled? But he didn't. Adam ran his fingers through his hair. He really needed to braid it back again.

Erik had asked if Adam wanted to stop by his place and meet his cat. His roommates would be out for the day. Adam agreed. Erik sent his address, and thankfully, Adam could walk so they wouldn't have to waste gas.

The next day, Adam went to work. He was jittery already. He braided his hair that day. The other librarians took notice and complimented his hair.

This brought a smile to his face. He spent the day thinking about his hair, and what Saturday may bring. Tomorrow was a day off for him so he decided to make something small for Erik. Maybe he'd make a ceramic cat similar to the one Erik had gotten for him last Wednesday. He'd have to stop by an art store to get some clay and paint.

He clocked out right on time again. He smiled and waved at the other librarians when he was leaving. He sat on a bench and checked where the closest art store was.

Shit.

It was nearly an hour to get there walking, and he'd have to walk back as well. He decided it was worth it. He stood and started the directions.

Sometimes Adam forgot how fast he was. He never got the chance for much exercise outside of the more strenuous days at the library and walking to and from work. He wasn't necessarily out of shape. It wasn't like he never exercised, it just wasn't a lot since he lived close to the library and the more physically active days at the library were not often.

He entered the art store. He felt a bit self conscious and not just because he was sweaty. Adam kept to himself, avoided other people as much as possible. He just went straight to the section with the clay in it. Still, others seemed to be almost scared of him.

He quickly grabbed a small thing of clay and a set of ceramics tools. Now he had to find the paints. It couldn't be that hard. He thought he remembered seeing a sign that said paints and paintbrushes on it when he was trying to find the clay.

Adam ducked into the next aisle where there was thankfully nobody. His eyes scanned the aisle on both sides. This wasn't it. There were markers and drawing pencils and the sort.

He was about to go one more aisle over when he heard his name from behind him. This wasn't a voice he recognized. He whipped around. There was now someone else in the aisle and they were staring right at him. He pointed at himself awkwardly. The person nodded.

They were an employee. Adam realized they looked familiar for some reason. "You are Adam, right?" They said.

"Yes." He responded quietly. "Why?"

"My roommate Erik told me about you." They explained.

"Oh! You're in one of his recent photos on Instagram aren't you?" That's why Adam recognized them. They nodded with a smile.

"I'm Vince, by the way," The person said. "Do you need help with anything?"

"Uhm. Yes. Could you tell me where the paints are?" Adam asked.

"Aisle 16." Vince told him.

"Thank you." Adam nodded and walked off to go find aisle 16.

"Hold on. Erik told me something that you might want to know." Vince announced.

Adam stopped in his tracks. What Vince just said terrified him. "What is it?"

"He told me he wanted to see you sooner than Saturday. Do you mind stopping by his work tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure where he works." Adam admitted sheepishly.

"You can find it on his Instagram. He works from 10 to 6 tomorrow. Since it's a local shop, it can't be hard to find the right place."

"Okay. Thank you." Adam smiled slightly. Vince nodded and went on their way. Adam left the aisle he was in and finally set off to find the paints.

He wasn't too far as it turned out. Just a couple more aisles down and he'd have made it. He thought of what colors he wanted to make the cat.

He eventually decided to make it black and white with yellow eyes. He went to check out. The others in line didn't seem to take too much notice to him which was a welcome surprise.

After a while, Adam was finally on his way home. He wondered if he should work on the ceramic cat for Erik tonight or tomorrow. If he worked on it tonight, he could potentially give it to Erik tomorrow. But if he worked on it tomorrow he would have more time.

He decided to do it tomorrow. He wanted it to be nice.

45 minutes later, Adam was back home. He unlocked his door and opened it. Gwen was asleep on the couch. Maybe it still smelled like Erik or something. He quietly shut the door so he didn't wake Gwen up. He gently sat down on the empty side of the couch. Gwen shifted in her sleep.

He checked Instagram. Erik was still at work so he couldn't text him. Then he remembered he had to check Erik's Instagram.

It was surprisingly easy to find Erik's place of work. Adam felt like such a stalker though. If he decided to visit Erik, maybe he could just play it off as a coincidence. He wasn't sure.

Adam silently took his hair out of its braid. He stared at his reflection in the t.v. in his living room. He never used it so he didn't have any use for it but for some reason he couldn't seem to get rid of it.

He wondered what people might think his scars came from. He had no clue. He sighed loudly and shifted his legs up onto the couch, nearly kicking Gwen in the process. Gwen startled awake and hissed in protest.

"Sorry." Adam said. He put his hand out and Gwen rubbed against it. She accepted his apology.

Adam's phone lit up with a text. Again, from Erik who had just gotten off work. He informed Adam that Vince saw him at Michael's. Adam returned the text saying that they had indeed seen him and that the two had a short conversation.

Erik asked what he thought of Vince. Another thing that Adam wasn't sure of. He responded by saying that he'd have to get to know them better before he could form a proper opinion on them.

Erik told him that Vince was pretty chill and that he thought the two of them could be good friends. Adam didn't know how to respond so he sent a smiley face.

Then it was Wednesday. Adam woke up at 11. Good. He wouldn't even have the chance of surprising Erik too early. He wanted to do something with his hair that wasn't a braid. A ponytail maybe? No, that wasn't what he wanted to do with his hair. Adam decided.

He ended up putting it into a bun. He threw on a black, long sleeved button up and a maroon sweater. He looked so normal, at least for himself, but he didn't feel normal. He thought he looked like less of a monster, the same as how he felt when he first dressed for his job at the library.

Adam had to check his pulse. The sight of looking how he did, what he considered nearly human, made him feel lightheaded. It was weird.

He put on a pair of faded black jeans and dark brown loafers. He knew they were bad for walking, but he honestly had nothing better.

Before leaving, Adam made a small meal for Gwen. He slid it into her bowl after it was done. She meowed loudly as she ran towards the bowl. Adam smiled down at her. He grabbed his wallet and left for Erik's place of work.

Erik worked at a small candy and ice cream shop. Adam never heard it before, but nonetheless, he was excited to go, and not just because Erik was there. Some new things, Adam found out a long time ago, were good. New candy shops were among those things.

Adam was happy he lived near the older part of town. He loved it very much. The streets and paths were all lined with cobblestone and it had a very rustic, old aesthetic but it didn't remind Adam of the city he was created in.

The candy shop Erik worked in was a bit deeper in the old part of town than Adam usually ventured. He didn't mind though. He enjoyed the small adventure.

Adam soon reached the candy shop. It was called Toffee Cellar and Ice Cream Shoppe. Adam took a sharp breath in and entered.

Erik was behind the counter. He looked up when Adam entered but took a moment to recognize him. When he did, his face lit up. Adam broke into a smile too.

"I wasn't expecting you to be here." Erik said.

"I could say the same about you." Adam laughed.

"So uh. Can I get you any ice cream?"

"I'll get back to you on that."

Erik nodded and Adam started looking around the shop. He wondered if the caramels made in store were any good. He decided to try them out.

He also ended up grabbing a box of toffee and peanut brittle and a large bag of salt water taffy. He moved over to the ice cream counter to see if there were any flavors that interested him. He noticed there was butter pecan. There were also waffle cones.

Adam went to the counter Erik was at. Erik smiled at him again. He smiled back as he was setting his stuff down.

"So, you interested in any ice cream?" Erik asked.

"Yes! I actually am. Can I get one scoop of butter pecan on a waffle cone?" Adam requested.

"Coming right up." Erik went over to the ice cream counter and grabbed an ice cream scoop and a waffle cone. He proceeded to open the case containing the ice cream. He very carefully made a scoop of Adam's requested flavor and placed it on the cone. Then he returned to the counter Adam was waiting at and handed him the cone.

Erik tapped the ice cream into the machine.

"That will be $35 even." He told Adam. Adam pulled out his wallet and selected two $20 bills out of it. He handed it to Erik, who swiftly got out the change Adam was owed.

When Adam got his change, he placed it into the tip jar, as well as $5 more. Erik smiled at him as he put his other candy into a bag and handed it to him.

"Hold on a moment," Erik said before turning back. "Hey Danny, I'm gonna take my break. Would you mind taking over the front counter for a bit?"

"Yeah just give me a sec." A voice came out from the back.

"Hold on a second Adam. I gotta wait for my coworker to get out here and then I'm gonna get some ice cream for myself. Then we can sit outside and eat it together."

"Okay." Adam responded.

A few seconds later, a man emerged from behind a door Adam assumed led to the staff room. He quickly replaced Erik at the front counter, who returned to the ice cream. He got a paper bowl and an ice cream scoop. He got a scoop of mint chocolate chip and exited from behind the counter and met Adam.

"Don't you need a spoon for that?" The man, Danny, said. Erik rolled his eyes and Danny tossed him a spoon. Then Erik and Adam went outside the store and sat at a table by the window. Adam felt Danny's eyes on him.

"So, how have you been, Adam?" Erik asked.

"I've been good. You?"

"Yeah same."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Erik chuckled. Adam's face heated up a bit. "How's Gwen?" Erik wondered 

"She's good. She's taken a liking to the ceramic cat you got for me."

"You love to see it." Erik laughed. Adam smiled at him, hopelessly confused. He stumbled a bit over his next words.

"So uhm. What is working at a candy shop like?" Adam asked.

"Eh. I mean. It's so-so. Not terrible, at least not as a placeholder until I find a more steady job as an actor. I think I lucked out on my coworkers. How are things at the library?"

"They're great. More patrons since nobody's in school at the moment which means more hours for me."

"You know, I thought the library would be one of the few places more people visited during the school year. I guess I was wrong." Erik laughed quietly.

"I used to think so too. I used to go to the library mostly during the school year. Well, until I started working at a library." Adam said with a giggle.

"I don't know why but I always imagined pre-college you silently sitting in some isolated corner of the library with a stack of books. Maybe you just belong at the library in my mind."

"I imagine you in a grand Broadway theater, the lead in a hit musical maybe. Orchestra in the pit and you just finished your solo song that concludes the first act of the show."

"You know theater terms?"

"I always thought those were just the basics everybody knew."

"You would be surprised. Although I guess it does make sense for you to know theater terms since theater and literature go hand in hand."

Erik had a sparkle in his eye that Adam hadn't seen before. He wasn't sure if it was because of what he said about Erik belonging on stage or because of him knowing basic theater, but he liked seeing Erik like that.

Adam felt something drip on to his hand. Then he realized his ice cream was melting. He started eating it so it didn't melt completely. Erik had to stifle a laugh.

The two sat in a comfortable silence and ate their ice cream until Erik's break ended. The only reason Erik realized his break ended was because Danny pressed his face against the glass by where Adam and Erik were. Erik had jumped when he noticed Danny was standing there. It was now Adam's' turn to stifle a laugh.

Erik stood up after gently flicking Adam on the arm. He noticed a bit of Adam's hair had fallen loose so he brushed it behind the other man's ear.

"I'll see you on Saturday." Erik said.

"See you on Saturday." Adam responded with a content smile. Erik gave Adam a tight hug before going back into the shop.

Adam stretched, grabbed his bag, and started his walk back to his apartment, smile still on his face.


End file.
